Puzzling question asked on train

[TUC]

I was travelling today between Leeds-Sowerby Bridge. Each passenger going to Sowerby was being asked by the conductor (in a perfectly friendly way) 'Are you only going as far as Sowerby Bridge?' I'm still trying to puzzle out the reason for the question. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[PupCuff]

Is Sowerby Bridge a common ticket splitting point? The conductor might want to avoid having to trouble the customer again when they don't get off where the ticket they have showed ends.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I was travelling today between Leeds-Sowerby Bridge. Each passenger going to Sowerby was being asked by the conductor (in a perfectly friendly way) 'Are you only going as far as Sowerby Bridge?' I'm still trying to puzzle out the reason for the question. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Heard something similar today on an XC, it was to get them to show the rest of their split.

 

[skyhigh]

I was travelling today between Leeds-Sowerby Bridge. Each passenger going to Sowerby was being asked by the conductor (in a perfectly friendly way) 'Are you only going as far as Sowerby Bridge?' I'm still trying to puzzle out the reason for the question. Does anyone have any suggestions?

In case the passenger has a split ticket. Because scanning the other part of the split nets the conductor an extra 2p.

 

[londonbridge]

I remember when Oyster had just been introduced on National Rail, I used to commute Clapham Junction to Kingston, some mornings I would catch a fast Alton train, first stop Surbiton and walk from there, whenever I got checked the conductor would ask “are you only going to Surbiton”?

 

[Jimini]

Heard something similar today on an XC, it was to get them to show the rest of their split.

Yep same here -- regularly hear conductors asking people with tickets to Banbury if that's their final destination, as so many these days seem to have wisened up to the fact that you can avoid their eye-watering fares crossing into / out of the old NSE area by splitting tickets at BAN -- it can get pretty close to a 50% saving in many instances!

 

[yorkie]

Is Sowerby Bridge a common ticket splitting point? ...

There are certainly occasions when the forum's ticketing site will offer splits there, but it's not one of the most common. I've never heard a Northern Guard ask this question in relation to Sowerby Bridge.

Places like Banbury and Derby are in a completely different league and it is very common to be asked if you have tickets beyond such stations, especially on XC.

 

[bearhugger]

I heard the guard asking a similar question just a couple of days ago, but just asking where people were getting off on the Middlesbrough - Whitby line, but i suspect it was because the train consisted of two class 158's joined together, and the guard wanted people on the correct portion of train due to varying platform lengths along the line as some stations such as Kildale only accommodate two carriages of a class 15x.

 

[johntea]

There used to be ‘data collectors’ on board Northern services in West Yorkshire from WYMetro/WYCA who would follow behind the conductor and ask passengers their destination for statistic/reporting purposes

I haven’t actually seen any in years though so presume it got phased out as they presumably can now gather a lot of the data digitally

 

[father_jack]

There are certainly occasions when the forum's ticketing site will offer splits there, but it's not one of the most common. I've never heard a Northern Guard ask this question in relation to Sowerby Bridge.

Places like Banbury and Derby are in a completely different league and it is very common to be asked if you have tickets beyond such stations, especially on XC.

I had York-Sheffield, Sheffield-Derby, Derby-Birmingham, Birmingham-Cheltenham the other day. 3 RPIs got on at Leeds, asked what my destination was when I showed ticket #1 so i showed the rest and they promptly gripped the lot. What if I changed my mind and wanted to go for a pint in Derby ? I believe your obligation indeed is to show all the tickets for the journey you intend to make but should they all be gripped before you've got "into" that leg of the journey ???

 

[yoyothehobo]

I heard the guard asking a similar question just a couple of days ago, but just asking where people were getting off on the Middlesbrough - Whitby line, but i suspect it was because the train consisted of two class 158's joined together, and the guard wanted people on the correct portion of train due to varying platform lengths along the line as some stations such as Kildale only accommodate two carriages of a class 15x.

Had similar on the far north line, i assume that was due to request stops and platform lengths though.

 

[randyrippley]

Are there any stations requiring SDO after Sowerby Bridge?
I've been asked the question for that reason on the Wigan-Kirkby line

 

[yorkie]

I had York-Sheffield, Sheffield-Derby, Derby-Birmingham, Birmingham-Cheltenham the other day. 3 RPIs got on at Leeds, asked what my destination was when I showed ticket #1 so i showed the rest and they promptly gripped the lot. What if I changed my mind and wanted to go for a pint in Derby ? I believe your obligation indeed is to show all the tickets for the journey you intend to make but should they all be gripped before you've got "into" that leg of the journey ???

If there is any chance you may be breaking your journey, I would mention that to staff, and state you were overall travelling to Birmingham but were undecided whether you'd be on that train beyond Derby.

Nevetheless, if you used e-tickets, then the time of the scan would indicate when the ticket was inspected, which would provide evidence that the Derby to Birmingham ticket was checked long before it was actually used; you could show all tickets and explain what happened, if the ticket was rejected for entry at the barriers at Derby.

With a paper ticket, unless they punched a hole in the magstripe, the ticket would still work the barrier at Derby, and if challenged on the train you could show all tickets and explain.

 

[Bletchleyite]

With a paper ticket, unless they punched a hole in the magstripe, the ticket would still work the barrier at Derby, and if challenged on the train you could show all tickets and explain.

Staff do still sometimes mark paper tickets in unhelpful ways. Yesterday I went from Bristol Temple Meads to Bletchley via Birmingham, and the XC guard (I usually avoid XC but GWR to Paddington were in a mess) put a thick black diagonal line across the whole ticket, which got some funny looks when breaking at Birmingham* for some food, and from the LNR guard who started saying "That has already been..." and stopped when he read the origin.

I get that a biro squiggle is pretty universal, but fully defacing a ticket really should be reserved for exit at the final station.

* It was the case that the New St gatelines would open for almost any ticket, though not literally any - I once purchased Scotscalder to Altnabreac to see if that would and it didn't. Have they tightened up? It's a nuisance if you change at the A end if the gates don't open for anything that plausibly could involve changing there.

 

[Monty]

I'll often ask if people are traveling beyond a station. Godalming for example, is a common ticket splitting point and it's rare for people travel there in the morning on the UP services.

 

[Sultan]

In case the passenger has a split ticket. Because scanning the other part of the split nets the conductor an extra 2p.

Does this infer that a conductor can increase their earnings the more tickets they scan?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Does this infer that a conductor can increase their earnings the more tickets they scan?

Infer? It actually is the case on some TOCs that guards are paid 2p per e-ticket scanned, presumably to encourage ticket checks to be carried out.

 

[Vexed]

There used to be ‘data collectors’ on board Northern services in West Yorkshire from WYMetro/WYCA who would follow behind the conductor and ask passengers their destination for statistic/reporting purposes

I haven’t actually seen any in years though so presume it got phased out as they presumably can now gather a lot of the data digitally

I had one of these on EMR a couple months ago so they're still around! Probably still quite relevant with the rise in split ticketing over the last few years.

 

[L401CJF]

Im not familiar with the area in question but on routes I work I regularly see tickets to Warrington Bank Quay. If there's a 2nd dot (indicating a 2nd ticket if swiped across) at the bottom of their phone screen I ask if they're changing at Warrington or staying on. Often some are changing for mainline services but it's also a regular splitting point.

Not only does it get me an extra 2p for the extra scan, but it's always handy to know where people are going.

Also worth asking on some of our routes due to short platforms, request stops etc. Last thing you want is to overcarry somebody!

 

[jamiearmley]

I work that route. I also ask that question : for a number of reasons, not least that people don't often know what they have purchased, and the question allows them to discover that the ticket that opened the barriers at Leeds will not open the barrier at Manchester, (because they need the second ticket to do so).

Also, because it's unsettling to scan 50 odd tickets to sowerby, and then see no one leave the train....

Same goes for Todmorden (common advance split point) and Walsden (off peak day return split point).

There are so many reasons for asking : the least of which is "2p".

I don't care how many, if any at all, tickets I scan.

I do care that my passenger load is looked after, and done in such a way that all bases are covered as best as I can.

 

[stevetay3]

I just show the ticket for the leg I am travelling on, never been asked if I am going any further on that train and do not see any reason to show other tickets until they become valid

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I just show the ticket for the leg I am travelling on, never been asked if I am going any further on that train and do not see any reason to show other tickets until they become valid

That was also my one experience with split ticketing, guard came through before Grindleford and I had my first ticket ready and when they came through after I had my 2nd ready.

 

[Undiscovered]

I just show the ticket for the leg I am travelling on, never been asked if I am going any further on that train and do not see any reason to show other tickets until they become valid

I'll ask if folks are travelling beyond a particular station (first stop after a barriered station) on my route, as it's a splitting point. We also have a good 4minute dwell there, so if passengers don't alight, I've more than enough time to wander down, remind them this is their stop.
Some have onward tickets, which I scan, some don't, as they're just getting through the previous station barriers, so they get a nice, shiny new ticket for their full journey.
Also, if you do have splits on the same train, it saves me bothering you later to enquire about your journey. I can leave you in peace to your DVD or whatever.

 

[trainophile]

I always say "I'm split ticketing" and show them all up to where I leave that train, it saves confusion later.

 

[L401CJF]

I always say "I'm split ticketing" and show them all up to where I leave that train, it saves confusion later.

Similarly there are some people who buy split tickets A-B and B-C who think they have to change at B, whereas the train is actually direct. They don't realise until you see both and explain it to them.

 

[Jimini]

I always say "I'm split ticketing" and show them all up to where I leave that train, it saves confusion later.

Same here aye.

 

[william.martin]

On the Cambrian I was traveling from Porthmadog to Dyfryyn Ardudwy with one ticket and the conductor asked me if I had any other tickets that I would be using later in the journey because some of the stations can't fit a 2 car 158 so I would have to change carriage, fair play to him though as there were lots of holiday makers oblivious to the fact that they need to move coaches and he pointed it out to them.

 

[bradleyd]

Infer? It actually is the case on some TOCs that guards are paid 2p per e-ticket scanned, presumably to encourage ticket checks to be carried out.

Do you know if this is the case with TfW? There's a very split thing with the conductors (on the trains I regularly take), some check/scan every single persons ticket no matter the format, some check the paper ones but wave off scanning the e/m-tickets and smart cards, some don't check at all and others just ask if anybody needs a ticket. And all fo these variables happen regularly on the 2 trains I take 5 times a week (the time I take them varies by 2hrs week by week, 6:30am ish train one way, 4:30pm back, alternating with 8:30ish, 6:30 back, ) and it's a mix of the types on all of them

 

[L401CJF]

Do you know if this is the case with TfW? There's a very split thing with the conductors (on the trains I regularly take), some check/scan every single persons ticket no matter the format, some check the paper ones but wave off scanning the e/m-tickets and smart cards, some don't check at all and others just ask if anybody needs a ticket. And all fo these variables happen regularly on the 2 trains I take 5 times a week (the time I take them varies by 2hrs week by week, 6:30am ish train one way, 4:30pm back, alternating with 8:30ish, 6:30 back, ) and it's a mix of the types on all of them

2p per scan on TFW, 4% commission on ticket sales.

 

[bradleyd]

2p per scan on TFW, 4% commission on ticket sales.

So ticket sales are a lot more profitable for the person doing it. If they sold smart season tickets on the train, I'd buy it via them